Black Pentecostal church backs health-care reform, including public option

The presiding bishop of the historically black Church of God in Christ, one of the largest Pentecostal denominations in the U.S., has announced that its leadership supports the White House healthcare reform proposals, including an optional government-run plan.

In a little-noted statement, Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake Sr. of Los Angeles, speaking for the Memphis-based COGIC, called upon the broader faith community “to set a moral example which moves our country beyond the noise of racial division and partisanship by supporting President Obama’s courageous initiative.”

The church—said to have 6 million members globally, including an estimated 5 million Americans—was speaking “on behalf of millions who cannot obtain or afford adequate health insurance,” Blake said. “We also strongly believe that a public nonprofit option is essential to this end.”